Castle Anthology
by December21st
Summary: Collection of 100-word drabbles. Assortment of genres. All stories rated T or lower, have their own warnings, etc.
1. Breathe In, Breathe Out

"Breathe In, Breathe Out"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Technically none, but it wants to be Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: In times of crisis, it's important for everyone to know their jobs.

* * *

Castle plugs Beckett's nose with one hand, puts his mouth over hers and exhales. She closes her mouth and he lifts his head above water, breathes once for himself, then draws in a breath and plunges his head under the water to repeat the procedure.

At least the car's stopped filling up with water. If the river where they were run off the road were much deeper, he'd have to leave her or drown himself.

Castle can tell that Beckett's frantically sawing at the jammed seat belt with the tiny Leatherman knife. But that's her job. His is to breathe.


	2. The Little Match Girl

"The Little Match Girl"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: Character death

Summary: She'll never feel warm again.

* * *

She's so _cold_.

Ever since Kate's father died, she just can't stop shivering. Just a stroke, nothing like her mother's murder, and yet, she feels like the little match girl, freezing to death and trying to stay warm with nothing but matches.

She shuts everyone out, makes all the arrangements herself.

The day of the funeral, Castle's at her side, looking somber. Beckett trembles in the arctic wind. When it's over, Rick wraps his arms around her and holds her, muttering meaningless words of comfort until she starts sobbing into his chest. He keeps the chill of the wind at bay.


	3. Conflict of Interest

"Conflict of Interest"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Beckett and Castle both have New Year's Resolutions. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 prompt: **resolution**. My first fic for this community.

* * *

Beckett's New Year's resolution is to stop letting Castle get under her skin so much. She likes having him around, but he drives her crazy, inserting high melodrama into case theory and asking witnesses the oddest questions.

But Castle's worse after the New Year. He decides a banker was killed as part of a plan to rob his own bank, and finds out what the victim had to eat the whole week before he was killed. The writer also gets distracted by a quest for the perfect pastrami sandwich.

Castle's New Year's resolution is to get under Beckett's skin more.


	4. Meatloaf

"Meatloaf"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: It's been ten years since Kate's mother died. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **memory**.

* * *

Kate can't remember if her mother liked meatloaf. It's such a little thing, but it scares her. Ten years, and she's forgotten so much. Did her mom know the words to "Auld Lang Syne"? What brand of soap did she buy? Did she ever read Stephen King?

Kate still remembers plenty: the sound of her mother's laughter; the way she stirred her tea. But how long until those memories fade too, like an old photograph?

She can ask her father, but it's not the same. So the next time Kate sees her father, she asks him if he likes meatloaf.


	5. A Simple Plan

"A Simple Plan"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None or Castle/Beckett, depending on how you read it.

Warnings: Obscure spoiler for "Boom!", implied child endangerment.

Summary: Simple plans are the easiest to achieve. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge: **book signing**.

* * *

I have the _best_ plan.

Me and my buddy Rocco, we both deliver for Buddy Chang's. One of Buddy's regulars is this writer, Richard Castle. Rocco even read one of his books - Rocco's smart. He says this Castle's loaded. And he's got a kid. You see where I'm goin'?

Rocco found out that Castle's doing a book signing next Saturday. So while he's out, we show up with Chinese and grab the kid. We'll make a fortune in ransom. Usually Saturdays Castle's new live-in girlfriend is at the apartment, but she's just a broad.

What could possibly go wrong?


	6. Aftermath

"Aftermath"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None or Castle/Beckett, depending on how you read it.

Warnings: Obscure spoiler for "Boom!", child endangerment, violence.

Summary: Even the simplest plan can fail. Sequel to "A Simple Plan"; this will make a lot more sense if you read that first.

* * *

Maybe it wasn't such a great plan.

The medic says my nose should stop bleeding any time now. The ice pack will help. Looks like it's broken, along with my right hand. Don't hurt as much as, um, the family jewels. Can't hold another ice pack in handcuffs.

I'm not in as bad a shape as Rocco, though. He's still got spaghetti in his hair. See, he chased the kid into the kitchen, and she threw a pot of boiling spaghetti in his face. Rocco screams like a girl.

It turns out that Castle's girlfriend is a cop. Who knew?


	7. UST Cliché 2

"UST Cliché #2"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: The UST cliché where they don't want to get caught following someone.

* * *

There's no place to hide in the ridiculously long alley behind the nightclub. They've got about twenty seconds before the hit man comes outside and spots them, so Beckett pulls Castle against the grungy wall and starts unbuttoning her blouse.

"What are you doing?" seems like a reasonable question.

"Either saving our lives, or making our last moments on Earth really memorable."

By the time the suspect appears, Beckett's got her arms around his neck, Castle can taste the cinnamon of her lipstick, and they're doing a convincing job of imitating a couple who aren't thinking about assassins at all.


	8. The Date

"The Date"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: Not quite the perfect end to the perfect evening. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 (my suggested) challenge **candlelight dinner**.

* * *

Esposito's working late on a case when Castle and Beckett come in to the precinct. She's wearing a police windbreaker over a short black dress with high heels; he's wrapped in a standard-issue fire department blanket instead of a jacket; their faces are dirty with soot.

"I could …"

"No."

"What about …"

"No."

"Kate, I'm sorry!" Beckett doesn't even respond, just fixes Castle with an icy glare, scoops a keyring out of her desk, and strides towards the locker room.

"Dude, spill," Esposito instructs Castle.

"You know Beckett's new apartment?"

"Yeah?"

"You know how candlelight dinners usually involve fire?"


	9. The Game Is Afoot!

"The Game Is Afoot!"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Telling her what he's up to would spoil the fun. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 (my suggested) challenge **scavenger hunt**.

* * *

Attending a meeting of the Mystery Writers of America should be an honor. Beckett's met some pretty famous writers tonight. But her instincts say that Castle is Up To Something.

Maybe it's the cardboard box with odd miscellanea (including pince-nez spectacles and a live orchid) that he turned in when he got here. Maybe it's the _way_ Castle's introducing her to his colleagues. Or maybe it's the presence of three other police officers, two in uniform and one detective she recognizes.

Confirming her suspicions, Beckett discovers a printed list of mystery-related items, including "a cop." Tonight's their annual scavenger hunt.


	10. Liar, Liar

"Liar, Liar"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: They're living a lie. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **domesticity**.

* * *

Being undercover is all about telling the right lies. That's why, when Beckett and Castle have to pretend to be married, Castle's so good at it. (Normally Castle wouldn't be allowed near an undercover operation, but there are extenuating circumstances. It's complicated.) Meeting when she ran into his car, that's a lie. Married two weeks after they met, that's a lie. They fake domestic bliss, bicker incessantly (at least _that's_ authentic), and compare notes on their new neighbors. When asked if they they're going to have children, Beckett says no. She doesn't know it yet, but that's a lie too.


	11. The Price of Fame

"The Price of Fame"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Beckett's got a stalker. Again. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **stalker**.

* * *

Beckett's pretty sure she has a stalker. Or, more precisely, three.

They loiter in the precinct lobby, giggling every time she looks in their direction and running off when she tries to approach them. They're not doing anything wrong; it's a public place. But it's annoying. Most stalkers, in Beckett's experience, don't giggle.

But then, most stalkers aren't fourteen-year-old girls. Who apparently have nothing better to do on their summer vacation than hang out at a police precinct.

After a week, they finally approach her.

"Detective Beckett?"

"Yes?"

"The real Nikki Heat?"

"More or less."

"Can we have your autograph?"


	12. Daddy's Little Girl

"Daddy's Little Girl"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None

Warnings: Spoilers for WriteRCastle tweet for 06/20/10. (Shrug)

Summary: He has the novelty mug to prove it. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **Father's Day**.

* * *

When she's six, Alexis tearfully tells her dad she didn't get him a Father's Day present and she lost his card. He hugs her and tells her the best part of Father's Day is that they're together. She believes she has the best dad in the world.

When she's sixteen, Alexis calls her dad on Father's Day from summer school. He tells her he's proud of her and raves about the miniature submarine she sent. He never once makes her feel bad that she's not there. She doesn't believe she has the best dad in the world. She knows it.


	13. The Long Summer

"The Long Summer"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Beckett has something to look forward to. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **Heat Wave**.

* * *

Cops are not, as a rule, particularly creative when it comes to humor. Beckett loses track of how many times her oh-so-clever colleagues ask "Hey, do you think we'll have a _Heat Wave_ this summer?"

Her answers vary between "Do I look like the weather girl?" and "No, but I know someplace hot you can go." and "Funny. You should write a book." Ryan and Esposito think it's hilarious, but that's okay. The "Roach" jokes they get sometimes come with living props.

It's cold comfort knowing that, with _"Naked Heat"_ coming out this fall, next summer will undoubtedly be worse.


	14. Helpful Hints

"Helpful Hints"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: None

Warnings: Vague spoiler for "A Deadly Game", reference to violence and gore.

Summary: Alexis has some helpful hints for her new roommate. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **revenge**.

* * *

Stacie bursts into her summer school dorm room dramatically. "I'm going to kill him! Jeff Wallace is a low-down two-timing rat-faced pig-dog! I'm going strangle him and cut up the pieces with a butter knife!" Her new roommate, Alexis, looks up diffidently from the book she's reading.

"A chainsaw would be faster. Gets the job done in under an hour. Messy, though, so you should probably get some tarps. And Drain-O the bathtub drain when you're done, otherwise there's evidence."

Stacie stares at her, nonplussed. "How do you _know_ that?"

"I learned it from my dad."

Somehow that's not reassuring.


	15. I Could Have Danced All Night

"I Could Have Danced All Night"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett, Ryan/Jenny

Warnings: None

Summary: A wedding. Champagne. Music. Dancing. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **wedding**.

* * *

Kevin and Jenny Ryan escaped their wedding reception a couple hours ago, followed only by a jangle of tin cans. The last strains of music have slowed to an instrumental haze, with only one couple remaining on the dance floor. Castle's wrapped around Beckett, her head tucked under his chin, and they're not so much dancing as swaying in unison. They aren't drunk, but they've had just enough champagne and they're both just tired enough not to be thinking about anything other than how good it feels to be in each other's arms. Tonight, they have everything they ever wanted.


	16. Fair Fight

"Fair Fight"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Beckett gets caught in the middle of a fight. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **snow**.

* * *

"Boss, duck!" Esposito's warning comes too late as Beckett walks into the squad room and is hit square in the chest with something cold and wet.

She surveys the area. Two coolers, half filled with snowballs (no doubt the product of last night's snowfall) sit nearby.

"You're having a snowball fight …"

All nearby desks are suspiciously clean of paperwork. Winter coats protectively drape computers.

"… in the squad room …"

Ryan and Esposito are standing in front of her looking sheepish. Castle has something hidden behind his back.

"… without me?" She grins and dives for the nearest snowball.


	17. Life's a Beach

"Life's a Beach"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Martha influences her son in unexpected ways. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **beach**.

* * *

Martini in hand, Martha strolls up to the young boy diligently digging in the sand.

"What are you doing, sweetheart?"

"I'm making a castle, Mom! See, here's the moat and the drawbridge and these are the crenellations!"

She runs a hand through his tousled hair, shaking sand out of it and noting the beginning of a sunburn across the bridge of his freckled nose.

"When I'm older, I'm going to build a real castle, with a princess and everything! Do you think I can?" He asks, eager for her approval.

"Richard Rodgers, I'm sure someday you'll make a wonderful castle."


	18. Mr Blue Sky

"Mr. Blue Sky"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: Kate sees fireworks on New Year's Eve. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **fireworks**.

* * *

When Kate looks up towards the sky, she sees blue.

Which is odd, because the sun went down hours ago and she's expecting to see fireworks. Ryan's having a big New Year's Eve party on the roof of his apartment building. Everyone's there: Esposito, Lanie, even Castle and Alexis. She's had a couple drinks; everyone's having a good time, and when she looks up, she's expecting to see fireworks.

But Rick's eyes are so very blue, and his lips are so very inviting, and it's midnight. So, when the New Year arrives, Kate gets everything she's expecting. She sees fireworks.


	19. Retreat

"Retreat"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: Implied character death

Summary: In the face of failure, retreat may be the only option. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **endings**.

* * *

When Ryan comes back from lunch, nearly everyone's gone – someone must be dead – but Beckett's still there.

"Hey, what'd I miss?"

Beckett stares at him blankly, like she doesn't even recognize him. Something's wrong. Then Ryan notices the blood saturating her blouse.

"Beckett, what happened? Are you okay?" Ryan moves forward anxiously, looking for a wound.

"Guy with a gun, but I'm fine. It's not my blood. Castle shoved me out of the way." She tells him emotionlessly.

"Where is he?" Castle should be looking after Beckett. He's good at that.

"Downstairs with Lanie." Beckett's voice is flat and lifeless.


	20. By Any Other Name

"By Any Other Name"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Appearances are not always deceiving. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **trick or treat**.

* * *

The bouncer doesn't believe that Beckett's a cop. Not even when she displays her badge, her handcuffs, even her gun. He also won't let them into the nightclub without costumes during the big Halloween bash.

Castle grabs two plain stickers from a nearby table, prints a name on each, and plasters them on Beckett and himself. The bouncer grins broadly and stands aside. Castle can spot a fan anywhere.

When the club's owner answers his office door, Beckett flashes her badge, saying "Trick or Treat!" He's the first real murderer ever arrested by a cop bearing the name Nikki Heat.


	21. Just Say Yes

"Just Say Yes"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: One swear word.

Summary: The answers to simple questions are sometimes the most complex. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **family**.

* * *

Lanie calls Kate a damn fool for not recognizing a perfectly good marriage proposal when she gets one.

Rick asks _four_ more times before Kate makes him swear on anything he holds dear that he won't ask again. She nearly cries when he places his hand on her abdomen and swears.

It will look like she's one of _those_ women. Women who allow themselves to get pregnant to trap themselves a wealthy husband. And that was _so _not the plan.

Alexis's proposal brings Kate to her senses. She hands Castle's diamond ring to Kate, asking "Will you be my stepmother?"


	22. Read the Mind, See the Movie

"Read the Mind, See the Movie"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Vague Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: Beckett can read Castle's mind. Unfortunately. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **summer**.

* * *

"John's hoping to impress all the other men with his mad barbecuing skills." Kate's neighbor Patrice observes about her husband. It's the building's Labor Day barbeque, on the tiny rooftop terrace.

"Billy's thinking about the new cutie at work." Donna complains bitterly.

"What about you, Kate, can you tell what your boyfriend's thinking about just from his expression?" Patrice asks.

"Castle's not my … never mind." Beckett surveys Castle, staring intently at the meat searing on the grill. It's the look he gets when he has an idea for the next Nikki Heat book.

Beckett sighs. "Castle's thinking about cannibalism."


	23. Scent of a Woman

"Scent of a Woman"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: Spoilers for "Vampire Weekend"

Summary: The sense of smell conveys information not communicated by the other senses. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **bath**.

* * *

The body is found on a garbage scow. It takes them all morning to gather evidence, talk to the crew, and return to the precinct.

Montgomery gets one whiff and orders the foursome to go home and shower.

They reconvene after lunch, all freshly scrubbed, in clean clothes. Beckett's in a surprisingly good mood under the circumstances.

It's not more than ten minutes before Ryan and Esposito are exchanging knowing grins.

"You told them." Beckett hisses at Castle.

"I didn't." He objects.

"What did you say?"

"No-thing. I swear."

She inhales deeply, realization lighting her eyes. "You smell like cherries."


	24. Traditional

"Traditional"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Mystery fiction has many long-running traditions. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **convention**.

* * *

There's one thing that Castle's always wanted to do. (Okay, technically there are seventy-three things Castle's always wanted to do, but seventeen are illegal.) He's always wanted to gather all the suspects of a crime in one room while the detective, um, detects until the killer confesses, just like in the old movies. But every time he suggests it, Beckett refuses.

He finally gets his wish when an old fashioned multi-millionaire is murdered at a financial convention, and Beckett has to interview his staff before they leave town. The resulting confession's everything Castle ever hoped for. The butler did it.


	25. Drift

"Drift"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: General spoilers for Season 1.

Summary: It's just fog … isn't it? Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **fear**.

* * *

The fog swirls around them, cutting them off from the world.

"I've read stories," Castle whispers. (He doesn't whisper, but the sound is leeched from his voice.) "Where people drift through realities when they get caught in fog like this."

"This isn't a story, Castle." Beckett says uncertainly. The hesitancy in her voice emphasizes her nascent fear, and unconsciously she draws closer to the writer.

Eerie white stillness lurks beyond their tiny patch of asphalt.

Later, Beckett shrugs the feeling off as an overactive imagination. (Wasn't her apartment building brown before?) She looks forward to discussing it with her mother.


	26. Mighty

"Mighty"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Inspired by inaccurate news reports from the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **Comic-Con**.

* * *

As anticipation for the "Naked Heat" movie reaches fever pitch, Castle's publicist ships him off to the San Diego Comic-Con. He's practically giddy.

The fans are the best part. He's particularly impressed by a horde of Viking warriors, complete with aluminum swords. Castle meets four different Nikki Heats; none of them can hold a candle to Beckett.

A fight between two fans mars the convention, ending with a Viking stabbed with a pen and rushed off to the hospital while local police arrest his assailant. It's proof of what Castle knew all along. The pen is mightier than the sword.


	27. And Counting

"And Counting"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: Baby!fic

Summary: Kate has a present for Rick on their anniversary. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **celebration**.

* * *

"Happy anniversary!" Ryan congratulates the couple.

"So, five years since you tied the knot. Any regrets?" Esposito asks, grinning.

"Twenty-nine months of morning sickness." Kate grumbles.

"I remember sleeping. Long, long ago." Rick reminisces, yawning.

"Between you," Ryan points at the control-freak cop, "and you," he points at the impulse-driven author, "is it any wonder that all three kids are unholy terrors?"

"Just for that, you're babysitting tonight." Beckett grins savagely.

"Hey!"

"Beckett, your math is wrong. Three kids times nine months is twenty-seven, not twenty-nine." Rick corrects his wife smugly.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you …"


	28. Scrapbook

"Scrapbook"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: Vague Rick/Meredith, Rick/Gina

Warnings: General spoilers for Seasons 1 & 2

Summary: Alexis keeps a scrapbook of personal mementos. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **photo**.

* * *

Tucked in amid an assortment of her favorite books, Alexis keeps a scrapbook of personal mementos. It holds pictures of her parents' wedding; standing with her mom in front of the Eiffel Tower; and the time Alexis dressed in a tuxedo as the best man at her dad's second wedding. She's preserved a ticket stub from one of Gram's plays and the flower from her first date with Owen. Alexis's favorite is a snapshot of her mother smiling for the camera while her father looks adoringly at the infant daughter cradled in his arms. Because it explains her life perfectly.


	29. Invaluable

"Invaluable"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Some things have value beyond what is paid for them. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **scarf**.

* * *

The scarf's much too expensive, but Kate's entranced by the silk cascade of greens and blues, so she decides to splurge. The next day, when she wears it to work, not _one __single_ person notices it.

That afternoon, "did your girlfriend have any enemies?" suddenly turns into "gun!" and the rapid bark of gunfire. Esposito's running down the shooter but Ryan's clutching his leg and there's so much blood. Beckett uses her new scarf as a tourniquet as she calls for an ambulance.

Thanks to Beckett, Ryan's fine, but the scarf's ruined. Kate doesn't care. It was worth every penny.


	30. Three Notes

"Three Notes"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Sometimes homicide is justified. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **annoy**.

* * *

Beckett's going to shoot Castle.

She's not kidding this time. The writer's been whistling the same three notes over and over _all day_, occasionally throwing in a few others for variety. Beckett's tried everything: threatening, cajoling, and even asking him nicely. He'll be quiet for a few minutes and then … the same three notes.

Somehow Beckett manages to get through the day without committing murder. At least she's having drinks with Lanie after work. It's not until after their second drink that Lanie asks Kate, politely, to stop whistling. And Beckett realizes what she's whistling. The same. Three. Notes.


	31. Kiss It Better

"Kiss It Better"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: Sometimes the best cures for ailments are the old-fashioned ones. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **spring**.

* * *

In Beckett's car, Castle's complaining, again, about the spring in the passenger seat that keeps poking him in the (ahem) hindquarters. He's got a bruise. Beckett teases that now he knows what it's like to have such a pain in … the world spins as metal screams.

Beckett and Castle are lucky to be alive. The idiot who ran the red light wasn't as fortunate.

It makes Beckett think about what she wants from life. She invites Castle to her apartment and, over the course of the evening, she kisses every bruise he received that day. Including the first one.


	32. Rent Control

"Rent Control"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: Vague spoiler for "Boom!"

Summary: Apartment rents are influenced by a variety of factors. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **ghost**.

* * *

Beckett finally finds a new apartment because she can't solve a case. Marissa DeWent had complained that her apartment was haunted before she was bludgeoned to death there. Unfortunately, the ghost is Beckett's only suspect.

When he overhears that Beckett's looking, the manager leaps at the chance to rent the unsolved murder scene (read: rental challenge) to her. The new apartment creaks occasionally, but Beckett doesn't see any ghosts. But an odd scrabbling sound in the closet leads Beckett to the hidden evidence that convicts Marissa's boss of her murder, and Beckett wonders if her apartment is haunted after all.


	33. Unwritten

"Unwritten"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: None.

Warnings: Dark. Implied violence or worse.

Summary: Something happened. Something _bad_.

A/N: This is my 150th drabble, written for assorted fandoms.

* * *

Castle doesn't write any more.

He'll sit down in front of a typewriter, wondering why he stopped. He should write another Nikki Heat book; he's only written, what, three or four? But thinking about Nikki Heat (about Beckett) makes him profoundly uncomfortable and he walks away, the paper blank.

Alexis comes to visit often. She makes sure the doctors and staff are treating him well; he asks about college and friends. He wants to ask about Beckett, but that thought is splattered with blood and the sound of screaming. He doesn't remember if the screams are Beckett's or his own.


	34. Apology

"Apology"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Castle has a flair for apologies. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **explosion**.

* * *

"Hey, Castle, wha'd you do?" Esposito wonders as he passes Castle on the stairs.

"Do you really think that will work?" Ryan asks before ducking into the elevator.

A riot of colorful blossoms and an explosion of greens threatens to overtake Beckett's desk, all topped by a large card saying "I'm Sorry!"

"Castle." Beckett looks up. "What. Did you. Do?"

Castle shrugs. The back of the card is blank. "They're not from me."

"You'd better come clean now, Castle." She glares at him suspiciously.

Castle spends most of the day defending himself. And Beckett's silently pleased she sent herself flowers.


	35. Dress for Success

"Dress for Success"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: None

Warnings: Vulgar/suggestive language.

Summary: They say that clothes make the man. The woman, too. My gift to digitaldesigner in celebration of Castleland's Birthday Week.

* * *

Castle's chatting with Ryan and Esposito; the day's nearly over and Beckett's gone off to change – when she reappears wearing something … different.

Beckett's dressed in four-inch stiletto heels, fishnet stockings, a scrap of red with barely enough fabric to qualify as a miniskirt, a black strappy-top-thing two sizes too small, an assortment of shiny bangles and dangles, and enough makeup to last a family of four a year.

"What do you think? Would you want to fuck me?"

"Guh," Castle articulates. Quick, brain, say yes!

She smiles wickedly. "Special assignment for Vice tonight. I'll tell them you said hi."


	36. It Starts

"It Starts"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: Spoilers for Season 1. Reference to sex.

Summary: Everything starts somewhere. My gift to theaquamarine in celebration of Castleland's Birthday Week.

* * *

It starts with a heartbeat.

No, that's not entirely true. It starts when Castle's first book is published. It starts when Beckett's mother is murdered. It starts when Harrison Tisdale murders his sister.

It starts when he instinctively flirts with her. It starts when she resists being flirted with. It starts when they both start enjoying their verbal sparring matches, neither one willing to back down from the other.

It starts when their lips meet for the first time. It starts when their bodies join together in passion. It starts when they're not careful.

It starts with their child's heartbeat.


	37. Damsel in Distress

"Damsel in Distress"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: She's not exactly tied to the railroad tracks. My gift to colls in celebration of Castleland's Birthday Week.

* * *

Kate Beckett's a competent woman, not one that needs rescuing. Even when she gets shot, she pretty much rescues herself.

It makes the evening news, although the local news outlets seem rather vague on whether the victim is Kate Beckett or Nikki Heat. When Beckett's released from the hospital, her arm in a sling, the reporters descend on her like pack of rabid dogs, asking a cacophony of stupid questions.

Castle handles the reporters like a pro, deflecting their attention onto himself and earning the wounded detective some much-needed peace. It turns out that sometimes Beckett needs rescuing after all.


	38. Forever and a Day

"Forever and a Day"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: Forever isn't as long as it used to be. My gift to hazel_eyes_86 in celebration of Castleland's Birthday Week.

* * *

Castle and Beckett stand at the door to Castle's apartment, their lips meeting for the first time.

They kiss as minutes turn into hours. They kiss as dawn breaks. They kiss as Alexis passes them, going to school, and returns that afternoon.

They kiss as fall becomes winter, and as one year becomes the next. They kiss as Alexis leaves to go to college, as she gets married and has children of her own. They kiss as the building decays and turns to rubble. They kiss as centuries pass them by.

Their lips finally part, after what seems like forever.


	39. Twenty Questions

"Twenty Questions"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: There's something Castle wants to know. My gift to jessjessbinks in celebration of Castleland's Birthday Week.

* * *

Castle wakes Beckett at eleven o'clock to ask if cops are allowed to carry crossbows. And again at midnight, inquiring what the sentence is for assaulting a police officer. At one, Castle wonders if she's ever done any base jumping. When two o'clock arrives, he asks where she keeps her paper towels. At three a.m. he quizzes her on how to say "lowlife reprobate" in Russian. Every hour, on the hour, he wakes her up with a random question. At seven o'clock, he wakes her to ask what she wants for breakfast, finally satisfied that she doesn't have a concussion.


	40. Toy Story

"Toy Story"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: He who dies with the most toys wins. My gift to fiddlings in celebration of Castleland's Birthday Week.

* * *

The second floor of the toy store had been closed after the body was found in the stuffed animal corral, amid a clowder of cats and a six-foot octopus. (Castle wanted the octopus.) The victim, Ken Brunner, had stayed late to restock jigsaw puzzles after yesterday's sale. (Castle wanted the 3D Orient Express puzzle.) He'd been killed by a rapier from the pirate display. (Castle wanted the motion-activated parrot.) Surveillance footage showed that his killer was Ken's girlfriend, the store's doll expert, dressed in a Barbie costume. (At Castle's hopeful look, Beckett tells Castle to get it in _his_ size.)


	41. Attack of the What, Now?

"Attack of the What, Now?"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Evidence always tells a story. My gift to ashspark in celebration of Castleland's Birthday Week.

* * *

"The stranger runs into the darkness, ignoring the danger that a train might fill the tunnel at any time." Castle intones, lighting his face from below with a flashlight. A nearby subway train rumbles as it passes.

"He darts into the side passage. A rusted metal door impedes his progress for but a moment, and he kicks it open."

"Shoulder, not kick." Laine corrects him, as she examines the corpse.

"He's trapped in the tiny room! From the doorway, the giant alligator approaches."

"Nope, stabbed, not bitten."

"The blind man-bat hybrid approaches."

"With a switchblade?"

"The Morlocks approach."

"That works."


	42. Belief System

"Belief System"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None(ish)

Warnings: None

Summary: Castle believes in nearly everything. My gift to ozfroggirl in celebration of Castleland's Birthday Week.

* * *

After she's known Castle for about two weeks, Beckett realizes that he believes in nearly everything. Well, not quite. Only if it's not boring.

He believes that a UFO crashed at Roswell because it's more interesting than a weather balloon. He believes in the moon landing conspiracy because it's _funny_. But he also believes in the moon landing because it's _cool_.

He believes that Sherlock Holmes was a real person. He believes that Shakespeare's plays were written by different people. He believes in six impossible things before breakfast every morning.

He believes in True Love. She just believes in him.


	43. Intimidation

"Intimidation"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Intimidation is the sincerest form of flattery. My gift to steph0202 in celebration of Castleland's Birthday Week.

A/N: My muse came up with **nine** drabbles for Castleland's Birthday Week. This is the last of them. I'm astonished that was even possible.

* * *

"No, Castle, I'm not going to threaten your daughter's boyfriend for you."

"Please? You're much more intimidating than I am."

"Absolutely not."

"You wouldn't have to say anything, just glare at him."

"…"

"Yes, exactly like that. Only try not to look like you're out of patience with him. You haven't even met him yet."

"I'm sorry, who am I out of patience with?"

"Alexis's new boyfriend. I thought I made that clear."

"Maybe I will come to dinner with you tonight after all."

"Excellent! You won't regret this."

"It sounds like Alexis needs all the help she can get."


	44. Heat Source

"Heat Source"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None(ish)

Warnings: None

Summary: How to stay warm in the winter Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **water**.

* * *

"I can't believe," Castle tells Beckett as he helps her climb out of the water, "that you actually chased Woodrow into the East River." Nearby uniforms already have Woodrow in handcuffs.

"Couldn't let him get away with murder," Beckett chatters in the sub-freezing January cold, awkwardly removing her water-soaked gloves.

"Or suicide by hypothermia," the writer observes, wrapping his warm wool coat around the waterlogged detective. He briefly rubs each of her icy hands between his own, the friction warming them.

"Do you know what will really warm you up?" Castle asks, his voice low and suggestive.

"What?"

"Chicken soup."


	45. A Knight's Tale

"A Kinght's Tale"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None

Warnings: Spoilers for "Food to Die For" and "He's Dead, She's Dead"

Summary: The future can be yours … for a price. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **psychic**.

* * *

Kate's fourteen when she and her friend, Madison, skip French to visit a Coney Island psychic. They giggle practically the whole time. (By the time the Marchand case comes around, she's forgotten all about it.) He's a gangly, middle-aged man with wet eyes and an ambiguous Eastern European accent. He tells Madison that learning to cook, or possibly meeting a cook, will lead to fame and success. When Kate challenges him to tell her about her knight in shining armor, he tells her she has it all wrong. She's the stalwart champion, with weapon and shield, defending her beloved castle.


	46. Gentleman's Code

"Gentleman's Code"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None.

Summary: A true gentleman always follows a code of conduct. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **cold case**.

* * *

"If you think about it, this is good news," Beckett shivers.

"Freezing to death is good news?" Castle's unsuccessfully trying to pry the freezer door open.

"We must be on the right track if someone's trying to kill us for investigating a thirty-year-old murder." She chatters, stomping her feet.

Castle gives up on the door and starts unbuttoning his overcoat. "You take this …"

"Castle, I can't."

"Take it. At least I can die a gentleman."

"We'll share."

Castle gathers the freezing detective in his arms as she burrows under the heavy overcoat. "This is better than dying a gentleman."


	47. Scene of the Crime

"Scene of the Crime"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None(ish)

Warnings: None

Summary: Wherein the scene causes the crime. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **surprise**.

* * *

"Look out!" Castle's grabbing Beckett, pulling her away from floor-to-ceiling shelves where a trio of metal spikes emerged where Beckett just stood.

"What was that?" Lanie demands, frozen in her position by the victim's body.

"Cause of death?" Beckett suggests, her voice strained.

"I'd say so," Lanie agrees as the spikes automatically start retracting back into the shelves.

Ryan's voice comes over the walkie-talkie. "Everyone be careful. The daughter says she never visited her father because he had booby traps all over the place."

"Everyone out until it's cleared." Beckett orders the walkie-talkie.

"Castle?"

"Yes?"

"You can let go now."


	48. Almost

"Almost"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Ryan/Jenny

Warnings: Character death (sorta); Spoilers for "3XK"

Summary: Things could have ended differently. Episode tag to "3XK."

* * *

Jenny's in the kitchen, watching a saucepan of milk slowly warm.

"Can't sleep?" Kevin asks quietly. He's awake because his bruised (but unbroken) ribs still hurt.

"I had a nightmare," she admits. Ryan's surprised that he's not having them; the thought of regaining consciousness and finding Castle dead has been haunting him. But that didn't happen. Castle's fine. Mostly.

"I dreamed about that man," Jenny confesses, "He leaves Castle alive for revenge. Like you said. But then, to really annoy Castle, while you're still unconscious, he kills you."

Ryan gathers Jenny in his arms. "Honey, I'm fine." It's almost true.


	49. Visitor's Hours

"Visitor's Hours"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: He follows her as far as he can. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **hospital**.

* * *

The gurney bursts through the doors of the ambulance bay, paramedics rattling off information to doctors taking over care of the wounded police detective.

Nurse Clara stops the man following the gurney. Blood covers his shirt, and he looks completely lost.

"Excuse me, sir, are you hurt? Do you need help?"

"It's not my blood," he worries. He doesn't say he's not hurt.

When she comes back on duty the next day, Clara spots him in the patient's room. He's sound asleep, wearing a tee-shirt from the gift shop, and holding the detective's hand like he'll never let her go.


	50. Real Not Real

"Real / Not Real"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None(ish)

Warnings: None

Summary: It's a story, about a story, about … Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **smut**.

A/N: My 50th drabble for "Castle".

* * *

"Did you know that there's Nikki Heat fanfiction?" It's not what Castle expects Beckett to say as he hands Beckett her morning coffee.

"Yes, but I'm not supposed to read it. Legal reasons." Beckett wonders if that's ever stopped Castle from doing anything.

"Oh, that's not all. Some people write fanfiction about real people. Like rock stars. Or actors. Or the people that _inspired_ Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook." Beckett clearly finds the idea upsetting.

"About us? Anything good? Were they … _inspiring_?"

Beckett turns bright red. "Forget I mentioned it."

"Beckett?"

"Yeah?"

"I didn't say I never _write_ fanfiction."


	51. Prepared

"Prepared"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None(ish)

Warnings: None

Summary: Castle is prepared for any possibility. Response to lLiveJournal's castle100 challenge **handcuffs**.

* * *

"It must be a hundred degrees in here." Beckett's lying on the wrought-iron bed, looking hot in every sense of the word. Her handcuffs, running through the spokes of the footboard, bind her wrist to Castle's. Banished to the floor, he's appreciating the view.

"At least Jackson left us water. I liked him."

"He took my gun, Castle."

"Only so you wouldn't shoot him. And he didn't take my wallet, so I still have ..."

"Castle, don't say it. Don't even think it."

"Exactly how mad would you be if I just remembered I have a key to your handcuffs?"


	52. And Then There Were Three

"And Then There Were Three"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Something's fishy about Beckett's latest case. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **red herrings**.

* * *

"Why dump a body in a fish pond?" Beckett wonders.

"Maybe the killer was hoping the fish would eat the evidence?" Castle suggests, apparently trying to pet the witnesses. The fish were having none of it.

"What evidence?"

"Search me. Maybe the fish ate it." Castle abruptly pulls his hand from the water. Beckett can almost see the word 'piranha' appear in his thoughts.

"What we should really be asking is who had access to the fish pond …"

"I've got it!" Castle interrupts. "I know why the body was dumped here!"

"Why?"

Castle grins. "The fish are red herrings."


	53. Things to Come

"Things To Come"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: Beckett knows that Castle will always cause trouble. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **anticipation**.

* * *

"You're sure about this, Detective Beckett?"

"I'm sure, Judge Markway."

"If you do this, there's no turning back. Nobody will ever let you forget about what you've done today."

"I wouldn't want them to."

"Castle can be a real handful. Out of control. You're asking for a lifetime of trouble."

"Hey! I'm _right here_."

"Just want to make sure the lady knows what she's getting into. You understand, Castle."

"I can handle Castle, Judge."

"You know, I believe that you can. Okay, then by the power vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you ..."


	54. Keep in Touch

"Keep in Touch"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: It makes sense.

* * *

Lanie's still certain that Beckett and Castle are meant to be. They can't keep their hands off each other, even if they don't know it themselves.

She's seen how they unconsciously place a hand on the other's arm when one wants to emphasize a point, or while looking at evidence. Beckett puts her fingers to Castle's lips to keep him from saying something risqué; Castle helps Beckett with her coat and briefly rests his hands on her shoulders.

Lanie's watched their fingers overlap as Castle hands Beckett her morning coffee. It's how they express their unspoken, unrealized affection. It's touching.


	55. Christmas Past

"Christmas Past"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: It's nice to spend Christmas with loved ones. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **mistletoe**.

* * *

The festivities are winding down at Castle's Christmas party when the remaining partygoers, all denizens of the 12th Precinct, start exchanging stories of their worst Christmases.

Esposito evokes laughter at his story of being snowbound with his cousin's children. Mrs. Montgomery tells of once being the only nurse on duty during a snowstorm. Beckett spins a tale of spending Christmas in the hospital when she was four years old because she ate mistletoe berries, stuck in a hospital room with a bored teenager who broke his leg skiing down a staircase.

Castle stares at her in amazement. "That was you?"


	56. Home for Christmas

"Home for Christmas"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Ryan/Jenny

Warnings: The consumption of alcohol.

Summary: Where the lovelight gleams. Written for LiveJournal's castleland Advent Calendar.

* * *

"Merrychristmasunclekevinwha'dyoubringus?" Ryan's nephews, two sweater-clad elves, assault the newcomers.

"Merry Christmas!" Ryan breathes in cooking smells while spotting a snowball fight in the back yard. "You remember Jenny, right?" Jenny's pretending to hide a tote bag bearing snowman-wrapped gifts the size of console games.

"Kevin! Jenny! You're just in time for my eggnog!" Kevin's father greets them with hugs and two nearly flammable glasses of eggnog. Raucous laughter erupts in the kitchen.

"This is good!" Jenny proclaims, earning a grin from Ryan senior.

Kevin notices that Jenny fits right in with the Christmas chaos. Like she belongs in this family.


	57. Mistletoe

"Mistletoe"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: It was inevitable. Written for LiveJournal's castleland Advent Calendar.

* * *

The 12th Precinct doesn't have a Christmas party _per se_, but in between Santa pickpockets and a troupe of caroling burglars, they manage a festive gathering between shifts, with Santa hats, Mrs. Montgomery's mint fudge, and Bing Crosby crooning about a White Christmas.

Esposito's the one that points out the scraggly piece of mistletoe hanging above Castle and Beckett. Castle's expression turns mischievous as Beckett adopts a look that's almost predatory. Castle makes a wiseacre comment, and Beckett's response is to press her lips to his.

Five minutes later, after the applause has abated, Castle and Beckett are still kissing.


	58. Solstice

"Solstice"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: It's the longest night of the year. Written for LiveJournal's castleland Advent Calendar.

* * *

Beckett and Castle leave the City at ungodly o'clock in the morning, before the sun has even started lightening the sky. Frequent refills of coffee and the car's pathetic heater barely stave off the bitter December cold.

They find the victim's sister in a tiny town in Upstate New York lightly dusted with snow. The lonely woman has the lead the pair need, and invites them to stay for the town's annual solstice festival.

Clad in bulky wool coats, writer and detective attend the celebration. The crisp air smells of pine and a thousand candles turn back the winter darkness.

.


	59. Unrequited

"Unrequited"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett, reference to Kate/Josh

Warnings: Spoilers for Season 3 through "Lucky Stiff."

Summary: Being young at heart has its disadvantages. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **hope**.

* * *

Richard Castle hasn't been so head-over-heels in love since high school, and the feeling is nearly overwhelming. Beckett has no idea. (Does she?)

When Beckett smiles at one of his comments, Castle's heart flutters. He wants to do things for her. (He wants to do things _to_ her too, but that won't happen as long as she's with Josh.) Castle wants to cradle Beckett in his arms and whisper away the pain of her mother's death. He wants to give her the world. Castle settles for giving Beckett his friendship, sincere and unfettered, and hopes someday she'll ask for more.


	60. Defenseless

"Defenseless"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett, reference to Kate/Josh

Warnings: Spoilers for "A Deadly Game" and Season 3 through "Lucky Stiff." One swear word.

Summary: Beckett's not thinking about what she's not going to do. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **kiss**.

* * *

It was a mistake letting Castle get this close again.

After last summer, Beckett built a little fortress around her heart. It had a moat and a drawbridge. She met Josh, who was comfortable and safe.

And then Castle, damn him, got by her defenses and got her to care about him. Again.

She's not going to think about what kissing him felt like. (Amazing's accurate.)

She's not going to dump another boyfriend for Castle. She's _not_. Josh is the only defense Beckett has left against Castle. Because if Castle breaks her heart again, she doesn't think she'll ever recover.


	61. Wake Up Call

"Wake Up Call"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett(ish)

Warnings: None

Summary: It's time for Castle to wake up.

* * *

Wake up, Castle.

You're not supposed to get shot. That's my job. It comes with the badge. You're supposed to stay on the sidelines where it's safe. Get it right.

I convinced Alexis and Martha to go get some breakfast. They're so frightened, Castle, they need you so much, so you'd better snap out of it, you hear me?

They're not the only ones. I finally figure out that I can trust you to be there for me, and then you have to go take a bullet for me. There's so much I need to tell you.

Wake up, Castle.


	62. Fluff Piece

"Fluff Piece"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: Castle usually doesn't usually have a problem with fluff. Response to lone_pyramid's imprompteau multi-fandom fluff drabble-a-thon.

* * *

"Gesundheit!"

"Thank yoachoo!"

"Bless."

"Gatchoo! Chu! Gatch! Atchoo!"

"Are you done yet?"

"No. Beckett, what _is_ all this crachooo … stuff in the air?"

"Do I look like a botanist, Castle? It's tree fluff."

"There's no such thing."

"Seeing that those trees are covered in it, I'm going to have to disagree."

"I'm not allergichoo to trees."

"Castle, you've been sneezing nonstop since we got into town. You're allergic to these trees."

"Make it stop!"

"Fine. For every sneeze in the next sixty seconds, I'll unbutton one button. Go!"

"You're an evil woman."

"And you've stopped sneezing."

"You wisachoo. Watchoo!"


	63. The Story

"The Story"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: Spoilers for "Setup" and "Countdown"

Summary: Some things that happen to Castle become stories. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **frozen**.

* * *

They don't freeze to death.

Because Castle was there, not freezing to death, it becomes a story. The kind of story you tell your grandchildren.

Sometimes it's a horror story, searching a frozen corpse for a working cell phone or even a lighter, his unseeing eyes watching the whole time.

Or it's an adventure, with noble heroes coming to the rescue at the last minute.

Because Beckett was there, not freezing to death, it's also a romance. They huddle together, warming each other with comforting words and fumbling hands, silently yearning for a destiny unfulfilled.

It's their grandchildren's favorite story.


	64. Teacher's Pet

"Teacher's Pet"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: Mild sexual innuendo.

Summary: Youth is wasted on the young.

* * *

Had they just called Richard Castle _old_? Beckett glanced at the college-age quartet waiting in line for Castle's autograph. Castle's ears had suddenly reddened.

"You know he only wrote the Nikki Heat books to get in that cop's pants. She's way younger," the blonde explained loudly.

Beckett waited until they were next, then approached Castle. "He's taking a break," she told the foursome with her best sex-kitten smile.

"Can't refuse Nikki Heat," Castle apologized, grinning as Beckett grabbed his necktie and led him towards the bookstore's tiny bathroom.

One youth's voice drifted after them. "I can't wait to be old."


	65. Professional Expertise

"Professional Expertise"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Lanie/Esposito

Warnings: None

Summary: Good service deserves a good tip. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **date**.

* * *

"Keep your hands to yourself or I'll kill you!" Joyce calls back into the kitchen.

Joyce serves Lanie and Esposito their dinners, smiling at her regulars.

"Get you anything else?"

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Lanie demands.

"Our cook's a skeevy little weasel. Sorry, that's not fair to weasels."

"Tell him we want to talk."

The cook/weasel soon appears at their table. "Yeah?"

"We heard Joyce threaten to kill you," Esposito states.

"How's that your business?"

"I'm with NYPD Homicide," Esposito explains.

"And I'm a county coroner," Lanie continues. "Treat Joyce right, or we'll show her how to get away with it."


	66. Starting Something

"Starting Something"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Kate/Josh

Warnings: Suggestive dialog. Swearing.

Summary: How (not to) start something with Kate Beckett. Because I am _really_ tired of all the Josh-bashing.

* * *

"You broke my nose!"

"You tried to feel me up!"

"Dressed like that, you were asking for it!

"So were you!"

The Neanderthal plugs his bleeding nose with a cocktail napkin while Kate walks back to her table, forcing herself to _calm down_. The August night's too hot and muggy for this _bullshit_.

"How's the hand?" A good-looking giant sits down as Kate wriggles her fingers experimentally.

"I'll live."

"Still, someone should look at that." His actions mimic his words as his fingers drift over Kate's. His touch is professional and gentle.

"Thanks. I'm Kate."

"My pleasure, Kate. I'm Josh."


	67. The A in Team

"The A in Team"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Castle draws on a traditional solution to his current predicament. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **kidnapped**.

In memory of the late Stephen J. Cannell.

* * *

"Mr. Castle? Unlock the door."

"No, thanks. I'm good."

"We won't hurt you as long as Detective Beckett doesn't testify against Mr. Marcotti."

"Yeah, right."

"You can't stay in that storeroom forever."

"Did you know they keep the snack machine supplies in here?"

"I've read 'The Ransom of Red Chief.' I won't let you go just because you're annoying."

"A literate thug! Good for you. Did you ever watch _The A-Team_?"

"No … what's happening with the lights?"

"Man, this fuse box is old."

"_The A-Team_?"

"You learn a lot about storerooms watching that show. Hey, the fire alarm controls!"


	68. Happy Ending

"Happy Ending"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: Suggestive dialog.

Summary: Castle likes a good ending. Written for bitterbird on behalf of azuremonkey for the prompt **"a happy ending"** on the occasion of Castleland's **Heart of Gold** gala event.

* * *

"In real life, Castle, there are no happy endings," Esposito argues. "Something always goes wrong eventually."

"Just because in your job you see … Beckett!" Castle derails the sentence as Beckett appears. She's wearing something black, skintight and deliciously revealing.

"Castle, do you have any singles?"

"Why do you need … never mind." Beckett tucks his singles into her glove.

"Bachelorette party should end around one."

"I'll wait up."

"You won't regret it." Beckett smiles seductively, walking away as Castle stares.

"What was that?" Esposito blinks, absorbing their exchange.

"That," Castle explains, still watching Beckett's backside, "Is a magnificent end."


	69. Inevitable

"Inevitable"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: The answer to some questions is inevitable. Response to Castleland"'s "Squared" challenge, for the prompt **ship**.

* * *

"So are you two married?" Their witness, a cheerful elderly woman, asks Beckett and Castle. It's not uncommon for the duo to be asked if they're some variation of "together," the implications varying from wholesome to obscene, but Mrs. Thackaray's old-fashioned enough so that "married" is her version of "together."

"Unfortunately not," Castle responds with a mischievous glance in Beckett's direction. He knows that it drives her _crazy_ when he implies (to perfect strangers, no less) that their "togetherness" is inevitable.

Beckett grins roguishly at Castle, giving him something to wonder about as she gives her own answer. "Not yet."


	70. Round Robin Part 3

"Round Robin (Part 3)"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None (Castle/Beckett in future chapters)

Warnings: Not a complete story. (See A/N.)

Summary: Castle's got a secret.

A/N: This was my chapter for a currently unfinished Round Robin over on LiveJournal's castle100. Posted for the sake of completion. The entire compiled story can be found at the comm on LiveJournal.

* * *

"It's a secret," he admitted tenuously.

"Then you'd better not tell me," Beckett replied primly, the ghost of a smile haunting her lips.

"Aren't you going to try to get it out of me?"

"Would I do that?"

"Yes, I believe that you would, Detective."

"You seem pretty eager to have your secret uncovered, Castle. Maybe I'll just wait for you to pop under pressure." Beckett turns away from him, pretending to do paperwork.

"Okay, but you have to promise not to tell a soul."

"Scout's honor."

"Girl Scouts don't have honor ... wait, that came out wrong."

"Spill, Castle."


	71. The Death of Sherlock Holmes

"The Death of Sherlock Holmes"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: New York City isn't exactly Reichenbach Falls. My gift to hazel_eyes_86 in celebration of Castleland's Birthday Week.

* * *

"That's Sherlock Holmes!" Castle gleefully identifies their latest victim. He's certainly dressed the part, in formal Victorian clothes and a deerstalker cap.

As the case progresses, Castle starts quoting Holmes incessantly and refers to Beckett as "Watson" in spite of her pointed looks. A local Holmsian fan group recognizes the victim, providing his real name.

When Ryan appears with the victim's particulars, Castle snags the printout.

"Our victim was an English teacher."

"Maybe some of his students were responsible. High school students get into some bad stuff."

Castle shakes his head. "Not high school."

"What then?"

"Elementary, my dear Watson."


	72. Asking for Directions

"Asking for Directions"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None

Warnings: None

Summary: Castle avoids clichés like the plague. Response to LiveJournal's castle100 challenge **lost**.

* * *

Esposito waves as Ryan pulls up to the curb in front of the sprawling old building, condemned by the city and long abandoned.

"These are the latest I could find," Ryan tells Beckett, handing her a beige tube. She unrolls fading blueprints across the hood of her car, pulling her cell phone out.

"Castle not here yet?" Ryan asks.

"He got lost."

"How did he get lost in Manhattan?"

"He's not lost out here. He's lost in there," Esposito nods towards the brick monstrosity.

Beckett's voice rises as she scowls at the floorplans. "What do you mean, two dining rooms?"


	73. Waiting

"Waiting"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Warnings: Spoilers for "Knockout"

Summary: Everyone's waiting to see how things turn out. Another post-"Knockout" fic.

* * *

Beckett's not allowed visitors yet. She's fresh out of surgery and her doctors are being vague. Everyone's waiting anxiously in their best funeral clothes, and the sight's more than a little eerie.

That doesn't mean that Beckett's alone. Captain Montgomery stands unseen at her side, ordering her to fight. There's someone else here, too, comforting her, hidden behind veils he can't quite see through. But he's not stupid. He knows who it is.

The woman's telling Beckett not to be in such a hurry to get killed with so much living left to do. It's okay. She doesn't mind waiting.


	74. Round Robin Part 14

"Round Robin (Part 14)"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett, (Lanie/Esposito in other chapters)

Warnings: Not a complete story. (See A/N.)

Summary: Castle's got a secret.

A/N: This was my second chapter for a currently unfinished Round Robin over on LiveJournal's castle100. Posted for the sake of completion.

* * *

"I don't know, Lanie, my way is much more fun."

_"Oh I'm pretty damn sure that my way involves much better benefits. And I'm not talking about Castle's stock portfolio."_

"Lanie!"

_"Okay, okay. So are we still on for girls' night, or are you going to be playing with your toy ... one way or the other?"_

"Can I get back to you on that?"

_"Don't say I never gave you nothing. Now give your phone to Castle, I want to tell him something."_

"What?"

_"Just making sure he remembers a couple of things."_


	75. Scars

"Scars"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: Spoilers for "Knockout"

Summary: Some scars can't be seen. Response to a challenge at LiveJournal's Castleland to write a fic with three sentences. I couldn't resist the temptation to make it 100 words. I tied for third place in this challenge.

* * *

The summer after Castle learns what it's like to be shot, Castle and Beckett spend their nights in bed together memorizing each other's scars. Beckett's is a pale red star perfectly centered in the middle of her chest while Castle's is an angry jagged lightning bolt pointing at the shoulder that will never work properly again. The pouting child in Castle wants to point out that he ended up worse off than she did, but the writer in him knows that his wound was nothing compared to the pain he felt watching the blood and life seeping from Beckett's body.


	76. Plus One

"Plus One"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: Spoilers for "Till Death Do Us Part"

Summary: Exact numbers are important for wedding receptions. And other things.

* * *

A couple months after Ryan's wedding, Castle puts on the coat he hasn't worn since that night. He's briefly puzzled as he pulls two small pieces of paper out of one pocket, then grins in recognition as he sees that each bears a single number.

Even though they'd agreed to be each other's "plus ones" for the wedding, Rick's still surprised that he convinced Kate to trade "numbers" with him, crediting good champagne and a jovial atmosphere with his success.

Castle pulls out a pen, increments each number by one, and, still smiling, deposits the papers back in his pocket.


	77. Seeing Stars

"Seeing Stars"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: None

Summary: Castle has a surprise for Beckett. Response to the "lights" challenge at LiveJournal's Castle100.

* * *

"Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Wait." Beckett hears Castle closing a door behind them, then guides her another few feet. _Stardust_ is playing softly in the background.

"Okay, now."

Beckett opens her eyes to see an elegant, dimly lit ballroom, empty except for them. Deep blue walls stretch up to blackness. "What's the surprise?"

"Look up."

Beckett looks above her head to see the distant ceiling covered in glittering stars. "Are those constellations?"

Castle points, smiling, drawing her closer so she can sight along his arm. "Orion. And there, Taurus."

"Castle, this is beautiful."

"Welcome to the Starlight Room."


	78. A Matter of Trust

"A Matter of Trust"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: Spoilers for "Rise"

Summary: Trust is not absolute. Response to the challenge **"trust"** at LiveJournal's Castleland.

* * *

"Do you trust him?" Dr. Burke inquires, his deep voice reassuring.

"It depends," Beckett waffles. "To be kind to a grief-stricken relative, to not submarine a case? Absolutely. To buckle down to work, to behave himself? Absolutely not."

"Do you trust him with your heart?" Burke probes.

"He tried to knock me out of the way. When I got shot." Beckett clutches at her shirt, not answering.

"Listen to your words. You admit that he is kind, and puts your needs above his."

"What if I trust him with my heart and he breaks it?"

"What if he doesn't?"


	79. Flowers for Another Grave

"Flowers for Another Grave"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: G

Pairing: None (sorta)

Warnings: None

Summary: Murder by the book. Again. Response to a 100-word drabble challenge at LiveJournal's Castleland.

Author's Note: Just sorting through the last of my unposted Castleand fics.

* * *

As soon as she sees the body, Detective Helen Perkins is optimistic. She'd been hoping for a chance to prove herself to Captain Gates; to prove herself worthy of a permanent position on the Twelfth Precinct's homicide squad instead of just a temporary assignment while their lead detective is out on maternity leave.

She twirls around to face Detectives Ryan and Esposito. "I recognize this! The body covered in flowers, sunflowers on her eyes! I've read this book!"

"Yeah, us too," Esposito agrees, to her disappointment. "You should come with us. We know someone who can probably help with this."


	80. At the End of the Day

"At the End of the Day"

A drabble of 100 words

By December21st

Fandom: Castle

Rating: PG

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Warnings: Spoilers for "Cops & Robbers"

Summary: It's been a long day. Post-ep for "Cops & Robbers."

* * *

Beckett doesn't want to leave. The evening has been delightful, full of smiles and laughter, celebrating Castle and Martha's continued well-being after facing dangerous bank robbers. It feels like she's a part of their family; like spending time with her dad.

It's not that Kate wants to sleep with Castle; at least, not tonight. (She wonders when that thought started feeling quite so natural.) It's just that she doesn't want to go home to her empty apartment and dream about what might have happened. So when Martha offers their guest room for the night, Kate's essentially already decided to stay.


End file.
